IndieMas Day 5: Fire Boy

IndieMas Day 5: Fire Boy

It’s the best time of the year! This is the THIRD annual recap of all the independently-published books I’ve read. I like to take this time to share the love–both by helping promote great indie books and giving them away! So without further ado…

On the fifth day of Indie-Mas, my author gave to me:

An Urban Fantasy Set in Pakistan

This book appeared on my radar thanks to some eagle-eyed Twitterati. They were extolling the amazingness that is this book, so I bit. It took me a few months, but when I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.

Fire Boy is an #ownvoices book set in modern-day Karachi. The mythology draws heavily from the Quran and Islamic lore, of which I am no expert. So I will leave it to others to talk to what this book got right or wrong there.

But the story was beautifully written, the descriptions flowing off the page. I was there with Wahid, from the realities of living in a town where suicide bombings are the norm to the horror he feels when he comes face to face with a Djinn (a demon-like creature). What I loved most about him was he was your typical teenaged nerd and good boy. He took care of his mom and didn’t curse, and occasionally got into a bit of trouble with his friends. He crushed on a girl.

Where this veered away from your typical YA was the violence. It was fairly gruesome, with depictions of torture and horrific car crashes. There’s also something to be said for the lack of female protagonists with agency, HOWEVER, this book focuses on the path of a boy, so it makes sense to be male-focused.

The second book is available now, which is good, because the ending of the first will leave you clamoring for more.

From Sami Shah comes Fire Boy, an urban fantasy set in modern-day Pakistan, where djinns roam the street alongside corrupt cops, hustling beggars, and creatures from the darkest corners of Islamic mythology.

Growing up in Karachi isn’t easy. Wahid has a lot on his mind: the girl he likes, mostly, but also choosing a good university and finding time to play Dungeons & Dragons. Oh, and the fact that he can see djinns, other-worldly creatures made of a smokeless and scorching fire.

After a horrific car accident kills his best friend and djinns steal his girlfriend’s soul, Wahid vows to find out why. Fortunately, he has help in finding the djinns that tried to kill him. Unfortunately, that help is from the darkest of all spirits, the Devil himself …

Fire Boy is filled with supernatural entities and high-paced action, but it also gives the reader a vivid insight into life in Pakistan.

Enter the Giveaway

More on IndieMas

IndieMas is my annual recap of my favorite reads of the year. It’s a chance for me to pause the Sush marketing machine and focus on some folks doing good work out there. I like to really focus on those underrated gems with less than 50 reviews. For you, the reader, I do a giveaway on each post, as well as a grand prize. This year, I’m giving away a paperback copy of one of the eleven books, shipped anywhere Book Depository delivers!

You can click on any of the covers below to find out more, or enter the raffle at the bottom.